BTW, the real way to get a true pretzel taste is to dip the pretzels
in a lye solution; egg washes are nice, but not like the real deal.
Food-grade lye is available from online suppliers--I just got a
supply and can happily say that it really works.
Rose Levy Berenbaum has a recipe in the Bread Bible that describes
how to use the lye. You have to be very careful with it because it
can burn you just as quick as a strong acid, but if you're
comfortable and take care, it will give your pretzels a marvelous finish.
--diane in los angeles
http://www.well.com/user/debunix/recipes/FoodPages.html